Getting off on the Right Foot is Important
Oboe reed making is taught and learned in a one-on-one apprenticeship. The master reedmaker/oboist demonstrates; the student tries to imitate. Mastery is achieved over years, not weeks or months.
Learning reedmaking does not lend itself to the do-it-yourself model or the classroom environment in the way that other skills do, but books and classes are useful. Below are some excellent texts.
Reed making in stages
begin at the beginning
Stage One: get an overview and try your hand
- Get a good reference book on reed making, e.g. the Jay Light or David Weber books. See below. Another good text for beginning and intermediate reed makers is My Kingdom for a Reed by Dr. Theresa Delaplain. Learn the names of the reed's anatomy and the basic scraping techniques and theory.
- Purchase the rudimentary tools and learn what they are called and what they do. These books contain lists of what you will need. Check with your teacher on specifics.
- Have your teacher show you the basics of making a reed.
- Start by trying to scrape a reed. Starting with "blanks" can be a possible solution to limit the number of skills that you need to make a reed.
- At this stage of the game you will need to learn to sharpen the knife which will probably turn out to be THE most important skill. You can't really get a great reed with a dull knife. See my lens on oboe reedknife sharpening.
Reed Making Book
Now available bound with CD.
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Great books to supplement reed making lessons
The Art of Oboe Playing: Including Problems and Techniques of Oboe Reedmaking
Amazon Price: $14.21 (as of 07/14/2009) 
Art of Oboe Reed Making
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
The Reed Maker's Manual: Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Oboe and English Horn Reeds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
The oboe reed book: A straight-talking guide to making and understanding oboe reeds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
Oboe reed making: A modern method
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
Tabuteau Biography
Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom?
A book on the man behind the American scrape. By Laila Stroch.
Amazon Price: $23.96 (as of 07/14/2009)
Places to Buy Reedmaking supplies and Accessories
This list is not exhaustive.
Please ask your teacher where he/she suggests you shop. Most teachers do not appreciate it if you (unwittingly) purchase a tool that they consider to be inferior in some aspect or they may just have more experience with another brand and can teach you better with something they are familiar with.
- Oboe Cane & Reeds
- OC&R by Dunkel and Severson. A distinguished supplier of cane, reeds, and accessories for musical instruments. Highest quality, competitive prices.
- Forrests; Double Reed Specialist: Oboe Reeds,Bassoon Reeds,Double Reed Supplies
- Forrests is a good choice for double reed supplies, English horn reeds, and oboe reeds, tools, accessories and CDs
- Woodwind & Brasswind
- tools, supplies and accessories
- Roger Miller ROM Double Reeds HOME
- Roger Miller ROM Double Reeds Oboe and English Horn Reed and Cane. New Jersey native, Roger Miller, holds degrees from Miami University (Ohio) and has studied oboe with Charles Lehrer, Louis Rosenblatt, Dennis Larson, and Marc Lifschey. He currently plays 2nd oboe with the Dayton Philharmonic.
- Oboe cane from oboe cane.com. Cane for all instruments of the oboe family.
- Cane for all instruments of the oboe family.
- Mark Chudnow Woodwinds - Sales & service of double reeds, Oboes, English Horn & Oboe D'amore.
- Specializing in the sales and service of English Horn, Oboe, and Oboe D'amore. Carrying a full line of cane and accessories for double reed instruments, English Horns, Oboes D'amore.
- WEBER REEDS
- WEBER REEDS : Accessories, Books, Music, Videos, Cane, Compact Discs, Instruments, and Bells. Reed Cases, Reed Making Equip., Reeds, Services, Supplies for Oboe, English horn.
Reed knives
Double Hollow Ground and Bevel
Reed knives typically come in 2 basic flavors: double hollow ground and the single bevel knife. Popular today are knives ranging in price from about $20-$120 USD. A few of these brands are: Landwell, Herder/Philadelphia, Charles, Chudnow and Jende. At times I have used a bevel knife for "rough work" and a double-hollow ground" for finishing. Speak with your teacher to see what they like and they can tell you the pros and cons of the knives. Prices vary. Here are some links for your comparison.
Note: Start with the less expensive knives, which may work just as well. Sharpening can be tricky.
Note: Start with the less expensive knives, which may work just as well. Sharpening can be tricky.
- Charles Double Reed Company | The World's Oboe and Bassoon Marketplace
- Charles sells his own brand of knife as well as most major popular knives. Many like his proprietary knife.
- David Schast Reed Service & Supply: Philadelphia (Herder) Reed Knife
- Philadelphia (Herder) Reed Knife
- Reeds'n Stuff knifes
- Double hollow ground knives with a natural coloured hardwood grip. This German-made knife is an excellent, easy to sharpen knife, delicate enough to use on tips, yet stiff enough not to chatter when used on the back of the reed. Elaine Douvas, Principal Oboe "Metropolitan Opera Orchestra", New York: "I find these knives well made: straight, even, and all 4 corners in one plane. I think they are quick and easy to sharpen. They are light-weight, but they do not chatter and I can scrape with a lot of details."
- Reed Knife, Herder Style (Germany) [RKN-008] - $29.95 : WEBER REEDS
- WEBER REEDS Reed Knife, Herder Style (Germany) [RKN-008] - Double hollow ground knife with a hardwood handle. This German-made knife is an excellent, easy to s ...
- Midwest Musical Imports. Oboes, English Horns
- Philadelphia Herder Knife- $47 as of (11/8/06)
- Edmund Nielsen Woodwinds - Philadelphia (Herder) knife
- Original Herder (Philadelphia), double hollow ground with wooden handle. Price includes sewn leather sheath.
- Reed Knife, WR Chinese [RKN-013] - $54.95 : WEBER REEDS
- Another knife with good reviews. WEBER REEDS Reed Knife, WR Chinese [RKN-013] - Double hollow ground. Offered in two blade/handle configurations: straight blade (pictured above) o ...
- Chudnow Knives
- Mark Chudnow - bevel and hollow ground knives and others.
- Edmund Nielsen Woodwinds - Wedge type razor knife
- Knife, wedge-type razor, double hollow ground, in small, medium or large wood file handle. Price includes sewn leather sheath.
- OboeWorks: Knives
- Jende Reed Knives and Shapton Sharpening Stones
We're really excited to begin offering Jende Reed Knives. These are the BMW of reed knives! The combined effort and expertise that goes into every single knife is what sets the Jende in a league of its own. Each knife is hand made using traditional Asian knife-making techniques. Japanese steel is first forged into shape, hollow ground, and then hardened to Rockwell 62, making the edge on the blade very strong, yet durable. Each blade is polished and hand sharpened to an amazing #8000 or #15000 grit, ensuring a sharp, long-lasting, consistent burr. - JENDE: 15K Jende Reed Knife
- Welcome
Your cart is empty PRODUCT LINES: Jende Reed Knives & Maint. Kits Sharpening Equipement Maestro Wu Bombshell Cutlery Folding Knives Commemorative Knives Discounts & Sale Items SHARPENING SERVICES: APPLICATIONS: Order Status15K J
Reed Making- Stage II - Tying the Reed
- Now you are ready to learn to tie a reed if you haven't already. You can learn this from a book or video, but best from a reedmaker.
- Work on your knife sharpening skills. At some point you will need to "refresh" the edge on a coarser stone or stick.
- Try to get a reed that "plays", something that when put into the oboe will produce the full range of the instrument. It doesn't have to sound good or play in tune yet.
- Repeat several times until you feel that you are ready to work toward higher quality control.
- Learn how to "crow" the reed and interpret the results. The crow is one of your most important diagnostic tests and a good indicator of the reed's function and sound. The goal is a C-natural with two lower octaves which sound as you add more air pressure.
- Make sure that your oboe works!!! For example: You will never get a reed to play a low register that leaks. Think about it:how will you know if your reed is the problem? You'll just scrape into oblivion and frustration if your oboe doesn't work correctly!
Oboe Staples-incomplete
Remember: BAD TUBES MAKE BAD REEDS.
- OBOE STAPLES:
some people like these, and here's where you can get them!
David Stevens
P.O. Box 2225
4676 N. Stone Road
Bethel Island, CA 94511
phone: 925-684-9821 - Mark Chudnow also available at Singin'Dog Double Reed Supplies and Forrests.
- Nielsen-woodwinds.
Knife Sharpening
Read as Much as You Can
The better you understand the theory of sharpening the easier it may be to decide what to do next when your knife isn't sharp enough.
- from the IDRS archives DR V3.3: Knife Sharpening or Bearing the Burr-don
- KNIFE SHARPENING or BEARING THE `BURR-Don'
by MichaelRosenberg
The importance of having a sharp knife is well known to those who have ever used one. Reeds that have been scraped with a sharp knife seem to vibrate differently than those that have been scraped with a dull one. Reeds scraped with the form - Sharpening Made Easy
- Excellent explanation of knives, sharpening, tools, etc. Highly recommended.
- The Woodbutcher's Homage to Scary Sharp(TM)
- Scary Sharp System- use sandpaper glued to glass to sharpen. A fun read; Car Talk for oboists.
- How to Sharpen a Knife
- Sharpening a Knife - Emphasis On Necropsy Equipment Tips & info from a veterinarian.
Excellent document on knife sharpening. Very helpful explanation of sharpening angles. More detailed than most oboe tutorials. - Getting an Edge with Waterstones, Oilstones, and Sandpaper
- More on abrasives and sharpening.
- From the IDRS archives The Single Bevel Reed Knife
- The Single Bevel Reed Knife
by Stuart Mitchell, Minneapolis
A user of the Bevel Knife explains sharpening. He says:
"I've been reading Jay Light's excellent The Oboe Reed Book recently. While I found most of his book a real delight, I was disappointed - but not really surprised - at his cavalier dismissal of the single bevel reed knife." - Sharpening FAQ Google Group
- Joe Talmage gives an excellent overview and details of the process.
- Sharpening Made Easy, comparison of grits
- A comparison of grit sizes of belts, wheels, stones and hones used in knifemaking, sharpening and woodworking.
- Knife Sharpening Techniques and Tips from Extremely Sharp Knives
- How to Guides and Weaponry Info: Knife Sharpening Techniques
- Knife Sharpening Tips, How to Sharpen Knife, Knife Sharpeners
- Knife Sharpening Tips & How to Sharpen Knife Instructions.
- Oboe Reedknife Sharpening
- The first secret of reedmaking. Have a sharp knife. The second secret of reemaking. Have a sharp knife; -Stevens Hewitt* But what's the secrect to getting the knife sharp? Books. Tools. Methods. Links. Discussion Groups and more.
knife sharpening tools
If you read the articles above you will see the importance of maintaining the edge as long as possible and a steel is one option.
- THE RAZ-R STEEL - Razor Edge Systems
- The Raz-R Steel opens to give you a perfect angle for steeling and maintaining your edges between sharpening. This pocket size steel fits perfectly in your tool box. Just slide your blade down the pre-set angle steels and you'll have the perfect edge every time.
- Jende Industries
- Instructions for using the steel.
- Roger Miller ROM Double Reeds TOOLS & ACCESSORIES
- "AH-Final step after leather hone, ceramic stone, or similar item. This returns the edge to proper alignment (angle)...."
"AH "DEEP CUT" Like "AH", but has a slightly deeper texture around the full circumference. If you demand the best possible edge on your knives, you must have this item!! Mr. Miller uses this many times every day. As many reed makers have found out, this greatly reduces the itme and aggravation of "knife edge management". It will also greatly extend the life of your knives."
TWO MODELS AVAILABLE: Hand-held (great for on the job reed"touch ups") Bench model - Oboe Reeds - Bassoon Reeds - Handcrafted - ALL GUARANTEED
- Speedy Sharp - some people find this little gadget easy to use.
- Crown Burnisher
- Creates a burr, re-aligns the burr, polishes and maintains the edge---whichever you believe it does!
Knife Sharpening and Woodworking
Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/14/2009)
The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/14/2009)
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged Tools
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
Knife sharpening made easy: A manual of instrumentation for microtome knife sharpening
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
Tormek 2006 Supergrind
Don't laugh. This tool can grind and hone knives so quickly that you won't believe it. You will save some money on this model as it has just been superceded by the T-7
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
rec.knives Joe Talmage
Reed Making Stage 3 - shaping cane
Now start with gouged cane and shape the cane to your liking. Again, ask your teacher for a recommendation on the tip and the vendor. If you have been buying reeds and like the scale and other qualities of the reeds, consider purchasing the same shape that the commercial reedmaker uses. Most shapers come with a trial period. Expect to own more than one in your lifetime!!
A Few Words on Shaping Systems
The most commonly used system in the USA is the shaper handle with a removable shaper tip. Folded, gouged cane is placed over the tip and shaped by hand with a razor blade. Here is an example of a shaper tip and a shaper handle.
The flat shaper is rarely seen in the USA but still available. This a contoured metal bed made in the desired shape. The gouged cane is placed flat on the shaper. The cane is locked in place with screws and the excess cane is removed by hand with a blade. The shaped cane is removed from the shaper and then folded.
I have not tried the shaping machine nor have I seen one used in the USA but understand it is popular in Europe and perhaps other parts of the world. The machine is considered more accurate because the cane is not folded over a tip or shaped by a hand-held blade.
The choices of which system and shape to use depend on a combination of factors: your national style of playing, required tuning (A=440),oboe,altitude,gouge, desired tone, budget.
The flat shaper is rarely seen in the USA but still available. This a contoured metal bed made in the desired shape. The gouged cane is placed flat on the shaper. The cane is locked in place with screws and the excess cane is removed by hand with a blade. The shaped cane is removed from the shaper and then folded.
I have not tried the shaping machine nor have I seen one used in the USA but understand it is popular in Europe and perhaps other parts of the world. The machine is considered more accurate because the cane is not folded over a tip or shaped by a hand-held blade.
The choices of which system and shape to use depend on a combination of factors: your national style of playing, required tuning (A=440),oboe,altitude,gouge, desired tone, budget.
Series of Photos Illustrating the Shaping Process
- The Reedery
- Reedmaking Photos: Shaping
Shaper Tips and Handles; Measurement Comparison; Shaping Information
- Oboe Shaper Oboe Shaper Tips, Oboe Shaper Tip Handles
- Fairly wide selection of shaper tips, including De Lancie, Mack, RDG at Forrests Music.
- Adam Shaper Tips
- Manufacture and distribute oboe, oboe d'amour, and English horn reed-shaping tools. See hints to understand variability of shaping and shaping process.
- RDG Woodwinds - Supplier for Bassoon, Clarinet and Oboe Supplies Gilbert Shaper Tips
- RDG Woowdinds is the top supplier for all your woodwinds supplies. RDG Woowdinds is the top supplier for all your woodwinds supplies.
Shaper Tips
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand bySingle Edge Razor Blades
for good clean shaping
Don't fool around. If you shape with a dull blade your reeds will be likely to leak and won't be of uniform shape.
- Shane Stalcup Flies
- GEM 10 blades
- GEM Blue Star, Stainless Steel Single Edge Razor Blades
- single edge razor blades by GEM
- American Safety Razor - Industrial
- American Safety Razor -
- RDG Woodwinds - Supplier for Bassoon, Clarinet and Oboe Supplies
- RDG Woowdinds
- GEM® Scientific Single Edge Razor Blades - SPI Supplies
- GEM® Scientific Single Edge Razor Blades
are for the safe cutting and trimming of small samples such as.... oboe reeds! - GEM S/S Single Edge Razor Blade (100): Performance Tools Distributing
- Knives, blades...
- Personna 61-0034 Extra Keen Single Edge Blades .009 Regular - Box of 100
- Persona blades
Oboe Gouger
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byGougers
- Innoledy-Gougers
- Manufacturer of reed-making machines for the double reed instruments
- Boston Double Reed, Inc. -- Oboe and English Horn repairs and supplies in Boston, MA
- John Ferrillo design
Graf oboe and English horn gougers - LE ROSEAU CHANTANT - OBOES, CANE, ACCESSORIES
- Kunibert Michael, Oboe or Cor Anglais gouging machine
- RDG Woodwinds - Supplier for Bassoon, Clarinet and Oboe Supplies Gouging Machines
- RDG Woowdinds gouging machines
- Oboe Gouging Machine, Ridilla Model
- Introducing this new gouging machine, made in Germany by Reeds'n Stuff, in conjunction with Professor Andrea Ridilla of Miami University. This is an American Style oboe gouging machine with many innovative features.
· An ingenious mechanism to change the thickness of the gouge.
· New style of blade mounting makes changing the blade easy.
· Designed to make offsetting the blade easy. The built in dial indicator ensures precision when adjusting the blade offset.
· Accuratly ground blade uses the latest in composites and hardening techniques.
Patent Pending.
Gouging Machines Gouging Machine Setup-incomplete
- Dan Ross gouger
dross@astate.edu
Arkansas State University: 1-870-680-8054 - John Symer. 856-858-0605
Set up gouger and oboe repair.
Sometimes There Are Good Deals on eBay
If you like eBay, take a look. If you don't know for sure ask your teacher about the quality of the items for auction. If the price is right you may just want to take a gamble.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byRSS Feed from makingoboereeds.com
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- RDG Woodwinds - Supplier for Bassoon, Clarinet and Oboe Supplies
- RDG Woowdinds is the top supplier for all your woodwinds supplies.
- Cane & Reeds
- Tube cane
- BONAZZA - Musical Accessories
- Bonazza - Musical Accessories - Italy. Having a direct and continual rapport with music teachers and orchestra players. We are distributor of oboe makers like Rigoutat, Marigaux, etc as well as bassoon maker, Moosmann.
- Grow Your Own? Arundo Variegata - Variegated Giant Reed Grass
- Impressive large Giant Reed Grass with white/green variegation
Liang Wang demonstrates
Preview - How To Make an Oboe Reed by Liang Wang
http://mucony.com The world's renowned oboist, Liang Wang joined the New York Philharmonic in September 2006 as Principal Oboe. Previously, he was principal oboe of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (2005--06), and principal oboe of the Santa Fe Opera in the 2004--05 season.
Runtime: 2:50
14543 views
10 Comments:
Reeds tips from www.makingoboereeds.com
Check out this reed forum and there are several highly skilled players who might answer your questions, including Bob Shalita the creator of the site.
- The C Crow - what kind of guidline?
- who do you agree with? maybe you have a question for one of the writers.
- tuning
- Title: tuning
I like d-oboe's answer
additional resources
- Oboe and Reed Information
- This is the Oboe Studio Homepage at the Arizona State University School of Music - Martin Schuring, Assistant Professor of Oboe.
- Reed Guide
- Miller Marketing Reed Cane Reference Guide
Comparison of Reeds and Cane
This file is an Adobe .pdf file. - Berman, Melvin
- Berman, Melvin. Oboist, teacher, b Hartford, Conn, 28 Feb 1929; B MUS (Hartford) 1949, M MUS (Hartford) 1950. He studied oboe with Clement Lenom and Harold Gomberg. He has served as principal oboe with the CJRT Orchestra
- BDRP Double Reed Suppliers - A-Z - A Service of Brian's Double Reed Page
- nearly complete encylopedia of oboe stuff
- Reed Knives
- Reed KnivesDaryl Caswell, Calgary, AlbertaIt's concert night. Tchaikovsky looms before you. As curtain
time approaches you feel the urge for just a little more security.
A little work on the reeds might do it. A few quick scrapes and...
your reed lies lifeless in your hand. Camel fodder. Your murder - Growing Cane & Ree Manufacturing Process
- On Vandoren's site you can find an interesting slideshow, pictures and text, showing arundo donax (cane) growing and more.
- Oboe Reed Styles: Theory and Practice by David A. Ledet, ISBN: 0253213924
- Oboe Reed Styles: Theory and Practice by David A. Ledet, isbn: 0253213924
- Perfect a Reed and Beyond
- An interesting little book about reeds and their botany.
- Nagamatsu Products
- NKK-Planning deals with original instrumetal accessories produced by Nagamatsu Masaaki (Nagamatsu wind instrument laboratory).You can purchase various accessories for woodwind instruments on
this home page. - Tools for Oboe reed making:oboe my love for young oboist
- Explanationof tools for oboe reed making
- oboe reedmaking - a photoset on Flickr
- reedmaking step-by-step with photos
Misc.
- Princetown Tec Pulsar II
- The Pulsar II has an on/off switch in addition to the momentary squeeze switch.
- Photon Freedom Micro
- The easiest-to-use, most powerful, full-featured micro light available.
- Nite Ize 4.5" Fiber Optic Adapter for Mini Maglite AAA FPO-07-AAA4.5
- Nite Ize 4.5" Fiber Optic Adapter for Mini Maglite AAA FPO-07-AAA4.5 - Nite Ize 4.5" Fiber Optic Adapter for Mini Maglite AAA FPO-07-AAA4.5 The Nite Ize Fiber Optic Adapters allow you to turn your mini flashlight into a precision light-bending instrument. These adapters allow precise illum
Reader Suggestions
- Cascade Oboe Reeds, Eugene, Oregon: Cheryl Wefler
- Principles and Techniques of Oboe Reed Adjustment...$28
Please contact me about ordering and shipping. - Midwest Musical Imports. Oboes, English Horns, Bassoons, Flutes.
- My Kingdom for a Reed! by Theresa Dalaplain
- Edmund Nielsen Woodwinds - Wedge type razor knife
- Knife, wedge-type razor, double hollow ground, in small, medium or large wood file handle. Price includes sewn leather sheath.
The New Tormek Machine Has Arrived
TORMEK T-7 Water Cooled Sharpening System
Amazon Price: $589.00 (as of 07/14/2009)
Tormek PA-70 Honing Compound
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/14/2009)
Tormek Stone Resurfacing Tool with Screw Feed
Amazon Price: $75.95 (as of 07/14/2009)
Blogs
- Oboe Reeds « Adventures of Cooper and his oboe, Barbara.
- Adventures of Cooper and his oboe, Barbara.August 19, 2007 Gouging improvements
Filed under: Oboe Reeds
Quality Control
- Oboe Reed Diagram
- Martin Schuring Reed Diagram, with oboe reed measurements
Share your reedmaking likes and dislikes
flutestar123 wrote...
Nice lens!
Check out my musical instruments group.
http://www.squidoo.com/groups/musical-instrument
Posted January 28, 2009
ey_jay wrote...
More to learn about this instrument. I don't know how to play Oboe, let just say I'm more on the string instruments. But your lens is a great source of information. Thanks!
Posted October 01, 2007
jack01 wrote...
Wau, reall overloaded with you super great sharing. Thanks. From Cheap Music Downloads Guy.
Posted August 15, 2007
Downloads
- ebooks, Software and Downloads: Top Downloads
- Making Oboe Reeds
Reed Making Books
- Books And Videos For Oboe from Forrests Music
- Many books on oboe and reedmaking including:
The Oboe Reed Book by Jay Light
by annoboe
Ann Rosandich is an experienced professional oboe performer, teacher and reedmaker. She was appointed solo English horn of the New Mexico Sympho... (more)
